The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-15
STRATEGY, rtERvE AID LIBERTY.

The story of Confederate Soldiers
Escape FROM tac FEDERAL Guards
Some time later we were transferred
to Point Lookout prison, Maryland.
Annoncs our number was a young man
named Hunter, of Y, ashinSton. ID. Z.
During his Imprisonment he had been
furnished with complete wardrobe, far
more complete than any Confederate
soI,iicr dared to dream of. On the day
of departure he was dressed in MODIFY"
bu1ine-s suit, looking Is unlike 4 soldier
OF any kind as could lie. The prisoners
were Cathcred togetllcr il the quadrangle
of the prison, and IS each name was
called the man passed through the office
out to the pavement and formed in
column between the lines of guards.
Each prisoner carried his efTects-if he
wc9 fortunate enough to Possess any.
W hen Hunters name was called lie came
out eavelOpcd in his blanket, his hat
Knocked awry and carrying liis valise.
Those who had seen how iauntily he
loos-el in the ycrl scarcely recognized
tiI.i figure that sll;!lllet;, with its sllamb-
linz gait, out to the pavement. nor did
they understand why he had made such
a Guy OF himself. The prisoners talked
and laughed Gayly among themselves.
No ono noticed Hunter lay aside his
BLANKET and spruce" himself up Ask
ing a conlradc to look after his blanket
and valise, and to make no remark on
anything he might see, Hunter moved to
the curbstonc side Of the column. I'm
noticed by the guards he stepped beyond
the curbing and faced around, looking
nonchalantly at the prisoners while leis-
urcly lighting 81 clear. One of the guards
noticed the distinSue individual and
brought his muslet down to ''charge
bayOnets,' rcmarking: ''It's against
orders, sir. for anyone to como on this
side OF the street." Hunter coolly said,
" hilc putting his clear: '.Oh, Id like to
ret GOOD look at these id rebels. :"
The guard repeated: Its against orders,
81 and you will have to cross the street. }"
'.Au right says Hunter, not wishing
to prClOnS the conversation, and he sarIn-
tered across the strcet-turning Occa-
sionally To look at the prisoners-where,
leaning against tree box, he watched
the '-JOhnnies" with as much curiosity
as anyone there. When the column
moved OF the cheer that went up from
the Confedcrates was thought by the
lockers ON to- be the escape of pent up
feelings of prisoners at being let out into
the open air, when in reality it was the
farewell Outburst of admiration for their
coJlc-.e.c left standing there. who, by his
strategy and nerve, had won for himself
frccr air than they breathed.
Hunter spent several days in Washing
ton, then started for Dixie, but was cap
tured at Bowling Green, Va, not as an
escaped ryi- oncr. but as one who couldn t
give clear account of himself His
captors halted for the night on the way
to Washington. taking refuge in an old
abandoned house, with one of those large
stone clIinneys so contnOn in Virginia.
The windows being all boarded up and
one of tho guards lying against the door,
they thought that sufficient to hold a
fancy little '-blockaGe runner there
fore relaxed their vigilance SO much as
to sleep. a little fire, smoke and SCOT
were slight impediments to man like
the prisoner. He crawled up the CHM
ncy, dropped down on the outside and
prisons knew him no mOre.-~P Philadelphia
Times.